A miracle. I’m writing in the morning before breakfast and even coffee. I used to do this all the time, maybe I can get back to it. It helps that yesterday I went out and did things. It was Friday in May or June so if you ever want to bet where I’ll be bet on Wagner Park between 7:00 and 8:30 PM. That’s the site of the Sunset Singing Circle. I always go to as many as I can but with so many restrictions on what to do I’ll probably set a new personal record for how many I attend; the odds are so low against me having other plans.
The evening started off with a double idiot story. About a block from the house, I realized I forgot to take my mask. Since I have been immunized I followed the CDC advice and stopped wearing my mask outside. The problem is that I was headed to the subway where I’d be inside for almost an hour. I didn’t have time to turn back but that’s not a disaster as I had my bag with me and that has an emergency paper surgical mask in it. I prefer my KN95 but as I am immunized it’s no longer a big deal. Then I remembered that the MTA will give a mask to anyone that needs one on the subway. Great, I didn’t have to burn my emergency mask. When I got to the token booth and asked for one I was surprised to find that they give you a high-quality cloth mask, not a paper one. It’s a bit of a tight fit around the ears, but the fit to the face is better than any of my other masks. You’d have to work to keep your nose uncovered when wearing it. Same goes with the cone masks yet I still see people wearing it below their nose even though that’s less comfortable.
I usually get on the 4 train at Mosholu parkway, a ten-minute walk away, the same place I get the bus to Aldi which I take regularly. Yesterday I decided to go to the closer 205th street entrance, I can also get the bus there but it’s a less pleasant walk, so I go to Mosholu. One problem, sure the bus stop is there but there is no 205th street stop on the 4 train. I had to walk down to Bedford Park Blvd, I thought I might be late, but my timing was perfect. I got down to Bowling Green station a few minutes before Fred. Like last week I met him for dinner before the singing circle. We went to what’s now become our place, The View at Battery Park. What makes it “our place? We ate there two weeks in a row. Not much is open down there and fortunately the food is excellent and as the name says, it has a great view. I had he burger again. It was top notch and can now call that “the usual” next time I’m there. This time we ate outside. Inside might have novelty value but it’s so beautiful outside. It’s also safer but at this point the marginal risk of eating indoors as opposed to outdoors is not extreme as it was before being vaccinated when the infection rate was spiking. I’m working at being rational about these things, not driven by pleasure or fear. When extreme caution was called for I was extremely cautious. Things have changed. There’s a great FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast about some people’s reluctance to adjusting that I was listening to on the subway ride there, How Partisanship Explains Our Pandemic Behavior. Don’t let your political tribe dictate your beliefs. The problem is bigger on the other side of the political divide, which endangers everyone, but someone else being worse is not an excuse for you to not do your best.
When we got to Wagner Park we found David and Terrie already there. I’ve known David for ages, and I just discovered I was pronouncing their last name wrong. Let’s see if I can continue to remember the right spelling. The shows are sponsored by the Battery Park City Authority and I finally remember the name of the woman in charge of the Sunset Singing Circles, Frances. Let’s see if I can remember that my next week. The music is led by Terre Roche. It just struck me that some of you might not know how she is and how to pronounce her name. She was one-third of the Roches and her name is pronounced Terry. We made a new friend yesterday, Ellen who shared Fred’s WFUV festival blanket. I just bring my stadium seat. This week they asked us to wear masks. Last week I eschewed mine as we were outdoors, and the CDC said it’s no longer necessary to mask outdoors. Frances acknowledged that but said the park rules are to stay masked. I was glad I had my brand-new MTA mask. Singing with a mask has problems, it gets damp, but it can be done. I discovered you can even play a kazoo through a mask. One of the musicians came in with a kazoo one song so I joined him. That’s why I always carry a kazoo on me; you never know when you might need one.
The weather was much better than last week when we had a hailstorm, but it still got chilly as the evening progressed. As an experienced circle singer and Falcon Ridger I was prepared. I even had gloves with me. I was still slightly underdressed; I would have been better off with a second hoodie rather than the light jacket I wore over my hoodie. My head got cold. The mask came in handy keeping warm.
There were some new songs added to the book this year, one was Angel From Montgomery. That’s one of those songs that you sing and are in awe about; it’s perfectly written. There are quite a few like that in the songbook. I’m going to start playing a song from the book each week on Gord’s Gold. When I got home I listened to the Met game. They won in extra innings. They are just a little over .500 but I’m confident that they will improve. Music, food, and baseball. I hit all highlights. Now for a matzoh brei breakfast, another highlight.
Wise Madness 